BASKETBALL MUSEUM OF ILLINOIS
CAREER WINS
CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR
%
PLAYER GRADUATION RATE
HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS
ORIGINS
Where It Began
A valedictorian at Lewis University, Pat Sullivan began his career in 1965 at Providence High School in New Lenox.
Teacher. Coach. Leader.
In seven seasons as a varsity coach, his teams won 96 games and two regional championships. The foundation was set.
Wins at Providence High School · 1965–1972
Regional Championships
ACADEMIC FOUNDATION
Valedictorian · Lewis University
UNIVERSITY OF ST. FRANCIS
Building a Legacy
In Joliet, Pat Sullivan built more than a program. He built a standard. Over 34 seasons at the University of St. Francis, his teams competed, won, and represented something bigger than basketball.
506
WINS AT ST. FRANCIS
Over three-and-a-half decades, Sullivan’s program competed at the highest level of NAIA and NCCAA basketball, establishing St. Francis as a genuine power in Illinois.
15 OF 18 YEARS
Finished 1st or 2nd in conference — a sustained dominance that defines elite programs and elite coaches.
CONSISTENCY
Year in, year out, regardless of roster turnover, Sullivan’s teams showed up ready — a direct reflection of a culture he engineered.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Every player knew what was expected. On the floor, in the classroom, and in the community — standards never wavered.
EXCELLENCE
Excellence wasn’t a goal — it was the baseline. Sullivan built programs where settling for less simply wasn’t an option.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Record Speaks
WINS
CAREER TOTAL
WINS
UNIVERSITY OF ST. FRANCIS
CONFERENCE COACH
OF THE YEAR
15 of 18
Years
FINISHED 1ST OR 2ND IN
CONFERENCE
172/176
Players Graduated
97.7% GRADUATION RATE
Players became leaders. Teammates became family.
IMPACT
More Than
a Coach
Pat Sullivan’s greatest achievement was not wins. It was people.
172 of 176 players graduated a reflection of discipline, structure, and
belief in something greater than the game.
Players became leaders. Teammates became family.
Family First
For Pat, family always came first. His wife Peg, five children, and thirteen grandchildren were at the center of everything. The same values he taught his players were lived at home.
1
Wife – Peg
5
Children
13
Grandchildren
HIS CHILDREN
Colleen, Katie, Pat, Anne, and Bridget
Honored Across the Game
Pat Sullivan’s impact has been recognized across Illinois and beyond.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards recognizing decades of service to the game and to the players who played it.
THE PAT SULLIVAN CENTER
Named in his honor at the University of St. Francis — a permanent, physical tribute to the man who built something lasting in Joliet.
11× COACH OF THE YEAR
Eleven conference Coach of the Year awards — a number that speaks not to luck, but to sustained, repeatable greatness.
HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS
Eight separate Hall of Fame honors across Illinois and beyond — each one a recognition of a different facet of an extraordinary career that spanned over four decades of coaching, teaching, and mentorship.
His legacy is permanently woven into the game.
He Did Not Just Coach Teams.
Whether in a locker room, a classroom, or a boardroom, Pat Sullivan led with purpose. He did Not just coach teams, He developed people.
AUTHOR. SPEAKER. TEACHER.
Pat Sullivan’s leadership reached far beyond the court. Author of:
Attitude: The Cornerstone of Leadership
Team-Building: From the Bench to the Boardroom
Lessons in Leadership from Athletics
From the Museum Record
One of the most distinguished, inspirational and outstanding coaches in Illinois Basketball History is Pat Sullivan. After graduating from Lewis University as Class Valedictorian, he began his teaching and coaching career in 1965 at Providence High School in New Lenox. From 1965 to 1976 Pat taught and coached there for seven of those years he was their varsity basketball coach. His teams at Providence won 96 games and 2 regional championships.
When the opportunity to become an administrator and the Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Saint Francis in Joliet arose, Pat made the transition from high school to college. The next 34 years will be history making ones for St. Francis and Pat.
The following are Pat Sullivan’s highlights, honors and contributions to his family, Joliet Community and profession.
- Family always came first for Pat. He has five children — Colleen, Katie, Pat, Anne and Bridget He also has 13 grandchildren and is happily married to Peg.
- Pat’s players were his second family and he’s extremely proud that 172 of 176 players earned their college degree
- His teams at the University of St. Francis won 506 games and his career total stands at 602 victories.
- Twice the University of St. Francis was runner-up in the National Catholic Basketball Tournament
- In an 18-year stretch, St. Francis finished first or second in the CCAC 15 times.
- Coach Sullivan’s teams advanced to the NAIA National Tournament in 1994 and 1996.
- Eleven times Pat was selected Coach of the Year in the CCAC.
- The recreation and basketball facility at the University of St. Francis is named the Pat Sullivan Center.
- Coach Sullivan is in 8 different Hall of Fames — University of St. Francis, Joliet/Will County Hall of Pride, Providence High School, Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, Lewis University, Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, Joliet Area Sports Hall of Fame, and Joliet Catholic Academy Hall of Champions.
- He has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from Lewis University, Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and Joliet Area Chamber of Commerce.
- Pat has spoken to coaches in Greece, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, and throughout America for the USA Coaching Clinics. He has also directed numerous basketball camps throughout the United States and Europe.
- When it comes to Leadership and Team Building, Pat has spoken to businesses from Boston to San Francisco. Whether on the court or off the court, Pat Sullivan is viewed as one of America’s finest leaders and servants.
“LEADERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT WINNING GAMES.”
It’s about developing people. Pat Sullivan’s life is a testament to what happens when a coach truly believes that.